This invention relates to a disposable diaper for absorption and containment of body wastes.
Japanese Patent Application No. 1999-99165A discloses a disposable diaper. The diaper comprises a sheet-like cover member, and a liquid-absorbent member attached to an inner surface of the cover member by an elastic band, which extends in a circumferential direction of a wearer's waist.
The cover member comprises a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region disposed therebetween. Contours of side edges provided in the crotch region are curved inward. When developed into a planar shape, the front and back waist regions and the crotch region take an hourglass shape. Of such a cover member, at least one of the front and back waist regions assumes elastic flexibility in the circumferential direction of the waist. The side edges of the front waist region of the cover member and the side edges of the back waist region of the same are connected together or formed so as to be connectable.
The liquid-absorbent member comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet disposed so as to face the skin of a wearer of the diaper, a liquid-impermeable back sheet disposed so as to face the cover member, and liquid-absorbent material disposed between both sheets. These sheets extend from the crotch region into the front and back waist regions on an inner side of the cover member.
In each of the front and back waist regions, the liquid-absorbent member has an elastic band extending in an extended state in the circumferential direction of the waist. Respective extremities of the elastic band that have extended in the circumferential direction of the waist are connected to respective side edges of the waist region in which the elastic band is placed. In a preferred mode of such a known diaper, the side edges of the front and back waist regions of the cover member are connected together, thereby defining a shape of a brief having a waist opening and a pair of leg openings.
In the case of the known diaper of brief type, when a mother helps an infant put on a diaper, its leg may often be erroneously inserted into a space between the cover member and the elastic member.